Gloucestershire: No matches at Cheltenham during 2020 season

Gloucestershire played three Championship games at Cheltenham in 2019 and two in the T20 Blast

Gloucestershire have confirmed the cancellation of this year’s Cheltenham Festival fortnight.

The county have played matches at the College Ground since 1872.

They were due to face Hampshire and Yorkshire in Championship games starting on 29 June and 5 July, plus Sussex and Kent in the T20 Blast.

No fixtures have yet been played in 2020 and cricket remains suspended in England until at least 1 July because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Gloucestershire said cancelling the festival was a “huge disappointment”.

A club statement continued: “All matches currently earmarked to be played in Cheltenham will now be played at the Bristol County Ground, should these matches be confirmed on a re-jigged schedule the ECB are currently putting together.

“We trust that our supporters will understand that we cannot second-guess developments during this Covid-19 pandemic and need to make decisions based on the present situation we are faced with.

“As the festival requires detailed planning and logistics, and with so much uncertainty around a return to playing professional sport, we’ve had to make the call to reduce the club’s financial liabilities in erecting this temporary facility.”